Nat'l Black Theater Threatened By Debt

NEW YORK - Below is a statement from Michael Lythcott and Sade Lythcott, son and daughter of National Black Theater founder Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, regarding today’s front-page New York Times story. For more than four decades, The National Black Theater has stood as a cultural pillar and transformative Harlem landmark and is credited with starting the Black Arts movement. But, nefarious business dealings between an investor group and major bank have left NBT and its legacy in jeopardy.

“The National Black Theater has been an integral part of Harlem’s cultural fabric for more than four decades. As the second generation to lead this theater, our singular mission is to preserve and build upon that legacy. Our comprehensive plans to broaden our curriculum and vastly expand our offerings to the community have unfortunately been stymied by the financial predicament in which we find ourselves through no fault of our own. However, we are confident that with the amazing outpouring of community support we are experiencing, we are close to resolving those financial issues and moving into the next, exciting phase
of our cultural and community programming.”